Songs that make me wobble

[jbanana]

I'm listening to a Pretenders song now and I can see exactly where I heard it in 1982, and remember how I felt then. There are a lot of songs like that. This year I expect it will be Bass Down Low and Where Them Girls At that stay with me.

But just sometimes the words, the tune and the singer's voice combine to make a little bit of a good tune transcendently beautiful. This happens for me when Kirsty MacColl sings New England, but only when she gets to this bit

Once upon a time at home
I sat beside the telephone
Waiting for someone to pull me through
When at last it didn't ring I knew it wasn't you

It doesn't look much written down, does it? But she sings it like she's just telling you the story, and the balance between upset and bravado is prefect.

Here's another one: Squeeze singing Up the Junction.

And when the time was ready
We had to sell the telly
Late evenings by the fire
And little kicks inside her

That one nearly made me crash once on the M25 - probably helps if you've had a baby (or perhaps if you've had to sell your telly). Bit of emotional balance again, and suddenly the song is off to the birth - an unusual topic in popular song.

Don't want too many of those moments - never get anything else done.